Tools for hotline hardware



June 1, 1965 N. E. BARLow TOOLS FOR HOTLINE HARDWAE Nyle E.Barlow l", 1 ""Swilll Filed May 1:5, 1965 .flll Ill ATTQRNEYS United States Patent Office fiatented June 1, 1965 ,186,264 TLS EUR HTLHNE HARDWARE Nyle Erlarlew, 4M S. Punlic Road, Lafayette, Colo. Filed May t3, 15563, Ser. No. 279,976 2 Claims. (Cl. Sil- 57) This invention relates to tools useful for hotline or power line hardware, and more particularly to lightweight wrenches for manipulating lfasteners for power line supports and in such environments where the workers are suspended on apole or a tower which supports high tension lines.

Workers on high tension or high voltage power lines are `always subjected to a substantial element of risk, and this is particularly true where the workers are doing maintenance work on the supports for operating high tension lines. Such maintenance work is continuous and must be conducted while the power lines are carrying a load or transmitting power. Since the lines are supported a substantial distance above the ground, the work on the line supports, whether they be poles or towers, must necessarily be performed a substantial distance above the ground. While there are many safety devices known and used by line workmen, the element of risk is always present but it is substantially greater where a worker nds it necessary to utilize both hands to perform a job.

Electric current transmission lines are conventionally supported on poles or towers a substantial distance above Vthe ground, and yobviously these lines must be fastened in some manner to the support. Insulators, of course, are used in direct connection with the lines and means must be provided for securing the insulator itself to the support. The fastening means for braces, cross-bars, etc. are commonly nuts and bolts. Relatively few sizes yof nuts and bolts are used since there are relatively few dilerent sizes of lines and poles or towers used in the electric current transmission. The power lines are characteristically subjected to inherent vibrations which are caused by winds, accumulation of snow and ice and the like, which tend to vibrate the supports and particularly the fastening hard- Ware connecting the various parts together, thus loosening the fastening means. Increasing labor costs require new and improved means of maintaining such transmission lines and particularly work saving devices are required to safely speed up the operation of the workers in maintaining or installing such transmission lines.

Accordingly, it is among thev objects and advantages of the present invention to provide improved wrenches for hotline hardware, which are safe and highly usable on the fastening means for supports of high tension current lines. The invention provides `a simpliiied lightweight wrench, which is arranged for use either as an extension wrench, an angle wrench and a means for starting a nut on a bolt. The invention provides a very lightweight rugged wrench for hotline hardware, which is very simple to operate and is arranged for maximum efficiency in restricted work areas.

Briefly, in one embodiment of the invention a wrench is provided which is in effect a socket wrench but is arranged for turning a nut either by means of pivoting the handle itself or by the rotation of a shaft extending through the handle. The wrench provides means for placing a nut on a bolt without pivotal movement of the handle. The invention comprises an elongated, ber glass, non-conductive handle through which is extended a iiber glass hollow shaft attached to a handle for r-otating the shaft. The head of the device is provided with means for turning it at an angle and includes a socket arranged to receive a plurality of diiferent sizes of socket portions. The socket portion is in interconnected through gearing to the shaft for rotation. Means are provided on the head for securing a nut and washer for holding, starting and threading the nut on the bolt.

`Further objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art from a study of the following detailed description and appended illustrations in which:

Fl'G. 1 is an overall side elevational view of a wrench according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail of a wrench according to the invention illustrating the relation of the parts;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of the head of a modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 3.

The major elements of the form of the invention shown in FIG. 1 include an elongated handle 10 provided with a socket holding head, shown in general by numeral l2. The socket holding head includes a socket holder 14 and a gearing set 16, while the handle supports a turning handle 13. As explained in detail below, the handle 13 is connected through a shaft to the gearing and then to a socket wrench held in the socket holder 14 which provides turning the socket wrench itself. The handle l@ may be of any length desired, such as 12, 18", 24," three feet or more depending upon the use for the tool. As the length of the handle 1.0 is changed, however, the shaft internally thereof must be similarly changed.

The handle lil is formed of a non-conductive, ber glass, resin bonded tubular stock, which has high strength yet is very light. Such handles must have non-conductive characteristics even when dump or wet, and an epoxy resin bonded ber glass is highly effective for such a handle. Similar materials may also be used. A hollow shaft 2) is mounted internally of the tubular member 10 and is arranged for free rotation therein. The shaft 2d is secured in the tubular member l@ by means of pins 22 placed through insert 3S in the shaft Ztl' and extended a short distance in annular space between the two parts. A short sleeve 24 is secured internally of the handle 10 by pins 26 and `it has sufliciently small diameter to permit free rotation of the shaft therein. The sleeve 24 also may be bonded by adhesive, as well as by means of the set of pins 26. With the sleeve 24 and a pin 22 in place the shaft 20 cannot be pulled out through the left end of the handle. At the Iopposite end is another sleeve 28 secured by means of pins 30 holding the shaft in the handle by means of the pin 23. Thus, with the sleeves and the pins in place the shaft is rotatably secured internally of the handle i0.

The shaft Ztl extends beyond the end of the handle l@ to provide an extension 32. Grip means 34 mounted on the shaft and secured thereto by means of a pin 36pmvides means for transversely turning the shaft. The outside of the grip portion 34 may be roughened or otherwise arranged to prevent slipping of the workers hand in turning the shaft. The shaft 2t) may be solid or may be hollow, depending on the use to which the tool is put. Where the shaft 20 is hollow, the insert or plug 38 may be secured in the end opposite the handle portion. In one case, this plug is provided with a rectangular opening 30. A threaded sleeve member 42 is secured to the end of the handle 10 opposite the handle portion 34 and this may be secured by pins, adhesive or the like. The portion 42. is provided by a thread portion 44 for threaded attachment to the head 12.

The headportion 12 is Vprovided with a socket holder 14 which is secured by a pin 50 to two side pieces 5l and 52. The socket holder 14 includes a bifurcated end 54, which extends into two parts 51 and 52 and is pivotally secured by means of the pin 50. The opposite ends of the parts 51 and 52, 51a and 52a respectively, are se cured to member Se for attachment to the threaded end 44 of the handle portion. The tubular member 56 has an internally threaded portion 57 and secured in between the ends 51a and 52a by means of pins 53 which may be bolts, screws, or other suitable fasteners.

Shaft 60 is provided with a rectangular end which is arranged to mate with rectangular hole the shaft extends through the tubular member 56 and is connected with a beveled gear 61 at the end opposite the square end whereby the turning of the shaft 60 turns the beveled gear 61. Supporting the shaft 60 internally of the tube 56 is an insert 62 which is held in place by means of its flange 63 bearing against a spring 70 biased against a washer 64 which is pinned to the tube by means of a pin 68. A bearing 65 provides free rotation for the shaft 60. The spring permits the insert and its carried shaft to be moved toward the threaded end 57, as explained below.

A set of beveled gears 73 and 74 is in rotative connection with the beveled gear 61 and mounted on the pin 50. These gears are meshed with a beveled gear 76 opposite the gear 61. Gear 76 is attached to a shaft 77 rotatable in the socket holder 14. The shaft 77 is provided with a threaded opening 78 for receiving a screw 79 for holding a socket 8) therein. The screw secures the socket to the shaft so that it will rotate with the shaft. The shaft 77 may be of any conguration, preferably square or octagonal to provide positive rotation of the socket by the shaft.

After the head portion 12 has been assembled, it may be attached to the handle portion 1@ by threading por tion 44 into the internal threads 57. The shaft 60 is mated with the opening 44 to provide a connection between the handle shaft 20 and the head shaft 6). After the handle is attached to the head, a socket 80 of the desired size may be placed into position in the socket holder 44 and the screw 79 pulled down tight to secure the socket 8i) to the shaft 77. The Wrench is thus ready for operation. When it is desired to have an angled socket, that is with the socket at an angle to the handle, the ilange 63 is pressed downwardly toward the handle which disengages the bevealed gear 61 from the two side beveled gears 73 and 74. When thus disengaged, the socket holder 14 may be pivoted on the shaft to the desired angle. The hole 40 is deep enough to permit movement of the shaft 66 to disengage the beveled gear 61. Gn releasing the flange 63 the spring 70 forces the member back up so that the beveled gear 61 again engages the side gears. This holds the socket holder at the desired angle. By turning the handle 34 so as to rotate the shaft 20 the socket in the socket holder may be made to rotate. The rotation may be either clockwise or counterclockwise to screw or unscrew the nut from the bolt.

In the modification shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the socket holder 14 is shown with a pair of U-shaped magnets 90 secured to opposite sides of the socket holder. The magnets may be secured by means of pins 91, screws, bolts or by any other convenient means. The U-shaped magnets are arranged to hold magnetizable parts and in one form to hold a nut in the socket by means of a washer held on the magnets. This securely holds the nut in the socket for starting and threading onto a bolt. A nut may thus be placed into position for threading onto a bolt or threaded stud without the necessity of being held by a workers hands. This arrangement simplifies the operation and may be used with the socket in an upside down position or any other position desired by the worker.

The sockets of the wrench are, of course, changeable and the size and shape of the opening 81 in the socket are dependent on the use desired for the socket, various sizes and shapes being common in the art. The wrench may be made in various sizes to accommodate different outside dirnensioned socket members.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular device, there is no intent to limit the spirit or scope of the invention to the precise details so set forth except as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hotline hardware wrench comprising a hollow tubular handle, a iirst shaft xedly mounted for rotation in said handle and having a portion extending beyond one end of said handle for gripping by a user, a bifurcated head releasably mounted on said handle on the end opposite said shaft extension, said first shaft having its end opposite said extending portion recessed from the opening of said handle, a reciprocal insert mounted in said head and arranged to move toward and away from said handle and being spring biased toward said head, a gear train mounted in said head, a socket wrench holder pivotally mounted on said bifurcated head and arranged to angularly pivot in relation to said handle, means for rotatably securing a socket wrench in said socket holder, means interconnecting a first member of said gear train with said socket wrench for rotating the same in said holder, a short second shaft lixedly mounted for rotation in said insert and connected with a second member of said gear train whereby to permit said second member to move into and out of engagement with said gear train, and slip conneetion means between said second shaft and said first shaft maintaining connection therebetween while permitting said second shaft to move toward and away from said first shaft and thereby engage and disengage said second member from said gear train.

2. A wrench according to claim 1 wherein said gear train is a boxed, four beveled gear train, with said second .shaft connected to one of said gears and said means rotating said socket wrench being connected with the diametrically opposed gear.

References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,379,880 5/21 Seaborn. 1,398,234 11/21 Landis. 1,398,889 11/21 Clark 81-185 X 2,316,243 4/ 43 Hubbard 8 1-5 7 2,459,671 l/49 Morris 81-56 2,791,142 5/57 Lyon 81-57 3,007,357 11/61 Nalley. 3,111,049 1 1/ 63 Brehmer.

FOREIGN PATENTS 682,7 10/ 39 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner, 

1. A HOTLINE HARDWARE WRENCH COMPRISING A HOLLOW TUBULAR HANDLE, A FIRST SHAFT FIXEDLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID HANDLE AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND ONE END OF SAID HANDLE FOR GRIPPING BY A USER, A BIFURCATED HEAD RELEASABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HANDLE ON THE END OPPOSITE SAID SHAFT EXTENSION, SAID FIRST SHAFT HAVING ITS END OPPOSITE SAID EXTENDING PORTION RECESSED FROM THE OPENING OF SAID HANDLE, A RECIPROCAL INSERT MOUNTED IN SAID HEAD AND ARRANGED TO MOVE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HANDLE AND BEING SPRINGS BIASED TOWARD SAID HEAD, A GEAR TRAIN MOUNTED IN SAID HEAD, A SOCKET WRENCH HOLDER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BIFURCATED HEAD AND ARRANGED TO ANGULARLY PIVOT IN RELATION TO SAID HANDLE, MEANS FOR ROTATBLY SECURING A SOCKET WRENCH IN SAID SOCKET HOLDER, MEANS INTERCONNECTING A FIRST MEMBER OF SAID GEAR TRAIN WITH SAID SOCKET WRENCH FOR ROTATING THE SAME IN SAID HOLDER, A SHORT SECOND SHAFT FIXEDLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID INSERT AND CONNECTED WITH A SECOND MEMBER OF SAID GEAR TRAIN WHEREBY TO PERMIT SAID SECOND MEMBER TO MOVE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GEAR TRAIN, AND SLIP CONNECTION MEANS BETWEEN SAID SECOND SHAFT AND SAID FIRST SHAFT MAINTAINING CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN WHILE PERMITTING SAID SECOND SHAFT TO MOVE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FIRST SHAFT AND THEREBY ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE SAID SECOND MEMBER FROM SAID GEAR TRAIN. 